1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a playback apparatus, a playback method, and a computer program.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, services are being operated that distribute content data such as Internet radio, music, images, and the like from content distribution servers in which the content data are stored to playback apparatuses such as audio devices, image devices, and the like that are held by users and that are equipped with communications functions that utilize the TCP/IP protocol. For example, a user can use a playback apparatus to obtain a list of the content data that a content distribution server can distribute, select the content data he desires from the list, and receive the selected content data.
The playback apparatus has a buffer to store temporarily the content data that is received from the content distribution server. Once a specified volume of content data is stored in the buffer, playback of the content data can start. If, during the buffering process, the storage status of the content data in the buffer, that is, the status of the buffering process, is displayed, the user can ascertain the time remaining until the playback starts.
On the other hand, where the playback apparatus is not directly connected to the Internet due to a problem in a setting for a domain name server (DNS), a default gateway, or the like, or where the playback apparatus is not equipped with a module that is compatible with the format of the content data that is distributed from the content distribution server, the content data cannot be seen or heard on the playback apparatus. To handle such cases, a system has been proposed in which a home server (for example, a personal computer (PC)) is provided between the content distribution server and the playback apparatus, and the home server receives the content data from the content distribution server, converts the content data into a format that the playback apparatus can handle, and transmits the content data to the playback apparatus (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. JP-A-2003-255959).
Also, in the system described above, a technology has been proposed that displays on the playback apparatus the status of the buffering process for the content data in the home server. In this case, the user can use the home server buffering process status that is displayed on the playback apparatus as an approximate indication to determine the time remaining until the playback starts.